London Borough of Haringey (22 014 941)
Category : Adult care services > Disabled facilities grants
Decision : Upheld
Decision date : 28 Mar 2023
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about defects to the complainants home following work paid for by a disabled facilities grant. We are satisfied with the actions the Council has agreed to take.
The complaint
- The complainant, I shall call Ms X, says the Council has failed to correct defects to her home following works funded by a disabled facilities grant (DFG).
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. If we are satisfied with an organisation’s actions or proposed actions, we can complete our investigation and issue a decision statement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 30(1B) and 34H(i), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered the information provided by Ms X and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Ms X complains that following work to change her bathroom to a wet room there were issues with tiles coming off. In November, the Council advised an officer will assess the problems and the work will be completed by the end of the month.
- A Council surveyor visited Ms X’s home to assess the extent of the works. They produced a schedule detailing the works to be carried out. The schedule was sent out to tender to get a competitive quote and a suitable contractor to carry out the works. However, by February, this had still not happened.
- In response to my enquiries, the Council has agreed to send a letter to Ms X apologising for the delay and anxiety this has caused her. It will confirm what work is planned and arrange a pre-start meeting with the contractor, surveyor, and Ms X to answer any outstanding queries or concerns before work begins.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because further investigation is unlikely to lead to a different outcome. And we are satisfied with the actions the Council has agreed to take.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman